Chaos in Cleveland
by Shards Astray
Summary: It's two years after the final battle from NFA and Spike is sent to Cleveland to fight evil... completely unaware of a very much familiar blonde being there. Spuffy. WIP.
1. Nothin' Like Good Ol' Cleveland

Summary: It's two years after the final battle from NFA and Spike is sent to Cleveland to fight evil.. completely unaware of a very much familiar blonde being there. This story is mainly based around the characters Buffy, Spike, Faith, Robin Wood, Rhona, and a few more newer characters. There will most likely be appearances of other characters such as Willow, Xander, Angel etc. If you're a fan of Faith, too.. I'm pretty sure you'll like this a bit.

**Pairings:** Buffy/Spike, a little bit of Faith/Robin, and maybe some other accidental pairings. Oh! And there may be just a LITTLE bit of Spike/Angel-ness.

**Genres: **Romance/Action/Horror/Comedy/Angst

**Ratings:** Rated M, just to be on the safe side for swearing, sex, and violence.

**Feedback: **Reviews are GREATLY appreciated.

**Note: **I do NOT own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel: the series, or any of the characters. Joss Whedon and the other creators own it all. Thank you.

**BETA NEEDED ! **I would really, really love it if somebody could beta for me? Cause' I know I've got a few errors in here, if not... then a lot. If you're interested then email me at Thanks!

**Two years after the final battle in L.A... **

"You should go on home now, love," Spike insisted as a drunk, middle-aged woman sitting across from him gulped down a shot.

"But I don't wanna!" she pleaded as she slammed the glass back down on the bar next to about six other empty glasses.

"It doesn't matter. I own this place and I bloody well don't want you to get even more trashed," he explained as he began cleaning up the shot glasses off the bar.

"I miss it. When I was a child, don't you? Those damn yankees!" the drunk woman babbled as she wobbled on the bar stool.

"No need to go all nostalgic on me, pet. There's no need to change the subject either. I'm going to close up soon so you're best to just leave and sleep in your nice, comfy home," he urged as he finished setting the shot glasses into the sink.

"You're no fun. No fun at all! You know, with your bleached hair, you'd think a guy like you would get out more!"

"Oh honey," Spike chuckled as he leaned forward, " if only you knew." And with that, she hopped off of the bar stool and stumbled out of the door with about the same amount of coordination as a newborn deer. The bar was then finally empty and Spike just smiled to himself as he wiped the counters up with a wet rag. He hummed calmly to the music playing as nothing else stirred in the room. He skimmed the bar looking to see if there was anybody left to boot out. No one. Spike sighed as he took a seat in one of the bar stools. He took a look up at the stage and then closed his eyes.

The bar reminded him much like the Bronze. Hell, it even smelled like the Bronze. Or maybe that was just the familiar scent that the heat of the dancing humans left earlier. Whichever it was, it made Spike's soul burn for all of the thoughts on the Bronze reminded him of only one girl. Sure there was a flash of Drusilla in his head but Buffy outdid the memories of Drusilla. Even _if_ Spike had known Drusilla longer. _Fuck that bint._ _Speaking of being 'nostalgic'... _

The memories reminded Spike of the final fight when he was with Angel's crew, too. There was the big battle with all of the demons and the dragon. The thoughts made Spike cringe for he didn't really want to bring back the memories. He missed Fred and even Gunn and Wesley for that matter. Angel survived though. Spike smiled at that. Even if Spike and Angel have loathed eachother over the years, it all just turned into an act that last year together. They had become more like bestfriends or brothers like the times when they were both evil except now they're fighting the good fight. They're champions. _With souls._

After the battle, Illyria left right away. Angel and Spike haven't heard a word from her since. Wolfram and Hart was completely destroyed and abandoned after Angel and Spike had successfully annihilated the demons. No, they didn't kill them all by themselves for Angel had different plans... with useful explosives. Spike and Angel agreed to be partners and to continue fighting in California. After a couple of months of working together, Angel and Spike received news that the hellmouth in Cleveland was brewing with evil and wasn't getting the amount of help it needed.

-----------------  
FLASHBACK.

"That's why I want _you_ to go do it," Angel insisted as Spike sat across from him in his office. Spike looked down for a moment and then his eyes shifted back up to Angel.

"Fine," Spike nodded, "I'll do it."

"Okay, you need to understand that there will be some Slayers there. If you run into them, then help them I guess. They need all the help they can get," Angel explained as he sat back in his chair.

"Right then. And... where am I gonna stay?"

"I have a set-up there for you. With the money that we've had from the remains of Wolfram and Hart, I'm pretty sure you'll do fine. There's a bar there. It's all yours. There's also a secret place inside the bar for you to live. It's pretty cool actually.

"Well then, I guess that's good enough for me. When the bloody hell did this all get set up?" Spike cocked his scarred brow.

"A couple of months ago. Wesley had a feeling that we'd maybe have to go to Cleveland at some point. So, he sent some people to go set it up for us. There's a guy there... who's running it right now. His name is Allen? Uh... Adam? I don't really remember but yeah, all you have to do is kick him out and run it yourself."

"Great," Spike muttered.

"If you don't want to take this offer, _Spike_, then-" Angel started as Spike quickly interrupted him.

"No, don't get me wrong. I do. I've got it. It's just uhh... do I get to bring the X-Box along?"

Angel rolled his eyes at Spike's gesture, "man, I was starting to like that thing, too. Whatever, Spike. I guess I'll buy a new one."

"Goody," Spike smirked as he stood up from the chair, "well it was nice doing business with ya, peaches." Angel just nodded as Spike once again shot his overused sarcasm. Spike stepped half way through the door of Angel's office.  
Angel folded his arms, "oh, and Spike?"

"Yeah?" Spike mumbled as he glanced back at Angel.

"Try not to die," Angel demanded across the room and then in a hushed, sad voice said, "we've had too much of that going around lately."  
A moment of silence.

"Same to you," Spike replied quietly as he slowly stepped out of Angel's office.

Later that week right before Spike departed from L.A, he handed Angel a present wrapped with black wrapping.  
"What's this?" Angel questioned.

"You'll see. And don't think I've gone all soft after this either. It's just to show my appreciation, I guess. Since there's been such a lack of it over the years with you. Bye peaches," Spike said a bit embarrassed but with dignity as he stepped into the airport.

Angel unwrapped the present eagerly and finally saw what was inside.

_A new_ _X-Box_. Angel smiled.

-------------

Spike never did kick _Allen _out of the bar. He made Allen run it so Spike didn't have to. Spike was much too busy doing other things like fighting, sleeping, and nonetheless brooding. This was only one out of a few nights that Spike did actually run his bar. Allen called in sick and although it took Spike a long time to agree to fill his spot, he did it. Allen was a short, introverted guy. He'd barely talk unless he really had to. Since Spike didn't know many people, he'd mostly talk to Allen if he could even get anything out of the almost mute man.

Some nights they'd have a few beers and just talk about things. Spike would talk about his demon days and Allen would mostly just listen or reply with a "really?" or a "keep talking". As much as Spike would talk about the days back in Sunny-D, it'd never compare to how many words came out of his mouth about Buffy.

At first, Spike would never say a word of the petite blonde. Allen had to pry it out of him one night while they were brooding with bottles of alcohol and sitting on a street curb. Spike kept warning Allen how he didn't want to go there but Allen finally got it out of him. It was quite easy for Allen to get it out of him hence the fact that he was so intimidating to Spike when he actually _did _speak. When Spike finally came out and told Allen about the girl, Allen became completely curious and Spike never stopped talking about her since. He needed somebody to open up to like that, anyways.

Spike sighed as he slowly opened his eyes. The whole bar was quiet and motionless. It took him a second before he could get himself out of memory lane. Therefore he stood up from the stool and flicked off all of the lights. All he needed to do was lock the doors and then he could get his rest. He made his way to the entrance doors and locked them tight. He forgot to patrol tonight but he thought that maybe the Slayers that he had never seen had it under control. Besides, he was too tired and mopey. He needed to rest his vampire eyes.

The hairs from the back of his cold neck stood up. He was half asleep but he could still feel it. _Demon? Ah, might as well ignore it, mate. _Spike barely fell back into sleep when all of the sudden a jolt of hot, electric shivers jolted through him.

"What the bloody hell?" Spike shot up from his bed. He was shirtless and his muscles twitched as his senses poked at him. He look at his arms and noticed the hairs sticking up as he touched them with a shaky hand. His senses were tangling.

"Okay, my guess is that there's a demon near by because I my senses haven't tingled like this since..." Spike muttered to himself. He shook the thoughts off as he tossed the white sheets off of him and got out of bed. The curtains were covering the windows but Spike could tell it was the afternoon. He checked the clock which sat on a nightstand next to his bed. _4:34 PM.  
_  
"A shower would be good about now," Spike mumbled as he paced out of his room, still a bit shaky.

"Buffy, wake up! We're here," Faith shook Buffy gingerly. No success. Buffy still slept in peace as drool started coming out of her mouth. Faith couldn't help but grin as Robin grabbed their luggage from the top shelf above the airplane seats. "She aint budgin', I'm gonna have to slap her or somethin'," Faith smirked as Robin handed her her's and Buffy's luggage. Faith poked Buffy as the blonde let out a small moan. Faith chuckled naughtyly. "Ey Robin, it sounds like she's dreaming about something _nasty_!"

"Well, I'm afraid you're gonna have to wake her ass up. We have to get off, people are waiting behind us, you know," Robin forewarned as Faith glanced back at Buffy.

"Well, I guess it's time to take extreme measures," Faith said with a touch of amusement in her voice. Before Robin could push Faith anymore, Faith slapped Buffy across the head. Not too hard but just enough to get her awake. Buffy's eyes opened slowly. She looked up at Faith, still a bit disoriented.

"Hey..." Buffy wiped off the drool with her sleeve.

"Time to get a move on, B," Faith demanded as she forced Buffy's luggage into Buffy's arms.

"Thanks," Buffy yawned as she grabbed the luggage and stood up quickly. Buffy then shot a glance up at Faith, "did you just _slap_ me?"

"What? I had to do _something_ to get you awake! Besides, I felt a little bad that I had to get you out of that sexual dream you were havin'," Faith laughed as the three walked down the aisle of the plane.

"What!"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about. So who was it about?" Faith prodded behind Buffy as they made their way out of the airplane.

"Faith, I wasn't having a 'sexual' dream. There was no sex. N-not even touching! I- I wasn't even dreaming," Buffy tried to get her way out of it practically knowing that she wouldn't be able to. Not with Faith, anyways.

"Don't be ashamed, Buff," Faith said with a smile forming her lips. Robin just walked ahead of the two Slayers, _pretending_ that he wasn't listening. As the three stepped out of the airplane, Faith whispered in Buffy's ear, "you can tell me about it later." Buffy just rolled her eyes as Faith and Robin walked ahead of her. She paused as she looked up at the sunny sky and inhaled the Ohio air,

" Nothin' like good ol' Cleveland."


	2. A Plan, a Fight, and a Reunion?

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! In my first chapter, I said that I needed a beta but for some odd reason my email address didn't come up. It's the end of the world now, right? So if you're interested in being my beta, you're gonna have to see to my profile to get the email address and email me a.s.a.p. Thanks in advance! Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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The condominium wasn't the fanciest of condos. Buffy had seen finer places in the past couple of countries she had been in. But then again, this is America and this is Ohio. Not that there was much _wrong_ with Ohio. Besides, Cedar Point was near by and there was lake Erie, too. And… an active hellmouth.

Two Slayers were sent to live there three years ago and now Buffy, Faith, and Robin came to help. _Great._ Buffy was starting to actually like Rome although it reminded her too much of the Immortal, or _Morty_ as they would all call him. He had some sort of fascination with her and it got her completely annoyed. It was a fascination much scarier than even Spike's around the time when Dawn was the key. One night, he did a spell on her to make her like him. That's the night where he took her clubbing and what not. Oh, was she pissed when Willow finally uplifted the spell. As soon as she came back to her regular self, she had punched his 'immortal' ass as hard as she could. Oh, but then it got worse.

When Buffy got back to her apartment, Andrew had told her that he bumped into Angel and… she couldn't quite make out the other thing he mumbled but she just left it at that. She had asked Andrew what he told Angel and Andrew confessed. That was when Buffy grew very furious. Although she didn't want anything to do with Angel because of his whole "Wolfram and Hart" management, she still atleast wanted to see him and maybe talk. But no hello kisses as Spike would put it. Besides, she was much too angry at him at the time. She wondered what he was doing at the moment because she hasn't heard from him in a long time.

The condo was decent and it was summer time at the moment so that made Ohio a bit more likeable for Buffy. Although it would be interesting for Buffy if it was winter. She didn't really get that a lot. Hardly ever. Buffy, Faith, and Robin made their way into the condo as Rhona, who was one of the Slayers staying there, guided them inside. The condo wasn't too small and it was actually pretty clean. If there were about thirty to forty girls staying there like the time back in Sunnydale, then the condo itself would look like the hellmouth. There was a decent sized kitchen, a living room with a few couches, and a dining area. There were stairs that led up to the bedrooms in the living room. _I guess I can deal, _Buffy thought.

"Well, make yourselves at home," Rhona insisted as Faith ran straight up the stairs. "Or…not."

"Which one's my room?" Faith yelled from the upper floor. Rhona didn't bother to answer the dark haired Slayer as her eyes set on Buffy.

"So Buffy, long time no see," Rhona folded her arms.

"Yeah, Rome is pretty interesting," Buffy nodded as she exchanged looks with Robin. Robin and Buffy got along fine now. Although Buffy loathed him after his certain vendetta pertaining to a certain bleached blonde vampire, she learned to get along with him.

"Oh, this must be Buffy." A short brunette with skinny cheekbones walked up beside Rhona. Buffy examined the girl for a moment and she knew that this was the other Slayer, one of the Slayers that she never met before.

"Yeah, Buffy would be me," Buffy replied with a small inviting smile.

"Well, it's great to meet you. My name's Monica. I've heard a lot about you," the newborn Slayer smiled, feeling quite intimidated.

"Haven't they all," Robin muttered as he started up the stairs to go after Faith.

"Oh, there are only two free rooms up there. The rooms only containing beds, that is. You should know which ones. Pick whichever one you want, if Faith hasn't already," Rhona clued Robin in as he nodded and continued up the stairs. There was an awkward silence between the three Slayers. Buffy felt too superior at the moment. She was actually enjoying it. To release Monica's tension, Buffy also went up the stairs with her luggage in hand. Monica let out a small sigh as Rhona looked at her.

"Isn't she intimidating?" Rhona questioned, practically reading the other Slayer's mind.

"That she is," Monica nodded as they both made their way into the kitchen.

Of course Faith had already picked a room for her and Robin to share and it had to be the bigger room. Oh well, Buffy could manage. Besides, their room was a party of two. Buffy set her luggage down on the bed she'd be staying in for the next couple of weeks. Buffy closed the curtains half way so the sun wouldn't be blinding her eyes so much. Her luggage bag was pretty big. She had to bring quite a few things such as clothes, make up, and other vital accessories. She didn't bring any weapons along knowing that the two Slayers would have that covered. Besides, it would be so damn hard for Buffy to get past the airport security with a bag full of stakes, crossbows, and an axe. It was a shame she couldn't bring her scythe along. She fell in love with that thing.

Buffy pushed her bag under the bed for now. She had a feeling she'd be staying for quite awhile, therefore she brought extra amounts of money for future shopping sprees with Faith. That was a great excuse for her just to get new clothes. Maybe she'd even go to a few other places besides the malls while she was there. She sure as hell didn't want to sit around the condo all day to wait until night to go figure out what evil was at stake. Buffy took a look out the window. _It's almost night._

_------ _

"So this big dude gets in my way in the cemetery the other night and starts beating the shit out of me," Rhona explained as Faith, Robin, Buffy, and Monica all sat around the dining table with her, listening with the moonlight shining through the window. "He wasn't normal looking either. I tried to stake him but he kept blocking my hits. It was pretty hard and I could tell he was strong. So, I finally had to get myself the hell out of that cemetery and back here before he killed me. He was damn close to it."

"So, this big guy… does he have a name?" Faith questioned.

"Not that I know of. He mostly just… grunted and growled. He wasn't a vampire though. You know, he didn't have the lumpies or any of that sort. He was just big, and he had three eyes," Rhona answered.

"Hah, that's more than I can say for the Xand-man," Faith joked as Buffy rolled her eyes with a touch of a smile to her lips. Monica just sat there, confused.

"So, did he seem like something really, really evil or just… evil?" Buffy perked her eyebrows.

"And the difference is?" Robin asked.

"Well… evil is just like, 'oh, I'm a vampire and I just came out of my grave!' evil and really, really evil is like, 'oh, I'm older than Billy Bob Thorton!' evil. " Buffy explained as she changed the tones of her voice as she was impersonating 'the evil.' Faith smirked and Rhona rolled her eyes a bit. Rhona always did have an attitude with Buffy. They never really liked eachother.

"I'm betting really, really evil. Since Rhona said he was stronger than the usual vamp," Monica barged in the conversation, "plus, you should've seen her wounds when she returned. She was beaten pretty badly." Buffy nodded at that.

"Yeah, beaten as bad as you were, Buffy, when you came back from that confrontation with the Turok Han that one time," Rhona described as Buffy frowned a bit, feeling offended. _Oh, I just love to piss her off, _Rhona thought in her head.

"Did he have any minions of some sort? That way we know what to look out for?" Robin added in, trying to change the subject.

"Well, there were some vampires who attacked me before him. I dusted them though and he was the only one left," Rhona replied.

"Great, now we have to look out for vampires!" Buffy commented sarcastically as Faith stood to her feet.

"So, is that all you have on this? Because it isn't much," Faith folded her arms.

"Well, there _have_ been a _lot _of attacks at Lake Erie lately. Many people have been found dead. The police are on it, but who knows what good they could do?" Rhona stood, heading towards the wall to retrieve the weapon's chest.

"Well, I say we split up," Faith suggested as everybody else got to their feet. Rhona set the weapon's chest on top of the table and opened it.

"Yeah, Faith and Robin, you two check out the lake. Rhona, M- Marika?" Buffy tried to remember but failed miserably.

"It's Monica," Monica answered with a touch of anger in her voice.

"She was never good with the names, " Rhona whispered in Monica's ear as Buffy tried to ignore any conflict.

"Right, sorry… Monica. Rhona and Monica, you two go back to the cemetery. I can go see what I can find in the alleys and maybe ask around at some bars," Buffy ordered as Rhona tossed weapons to everybody. "Try to find anything. Maybe try to get some vampires to kiss and tell? Except not so much with the kissing…"

"We got it, B. Besides, you were always good with the kissing part," Faith winked as Robin held back a laugh. Faith and Robin headed out the door as Buffy slid a stake into her coat pocket.

"Faith kissed Buffy before?" Monica questioned Rhona in a whisper as they headed out the door behind Faith and Robin.

"No. Well, not that I know of. She's kissed _vampires_ before is what Faith meant," Rhona explained with a small laugh.

"Oh, and here I thought you're supposed to be _killing_ them," Monica muttered as they stepped outside. Buffy heard their little chit chat and thought that maybe the stay here should be very _brief._ She wanted to find this demon soon, though. And kill it so she could leave.

-----------

It was around 10 o' clock and Allen was all better to work the bar. Spike came out of the door that led into his house with a cigarette in between his lips. People were dancing on the dance floor to a band playing while others were sitting at the bar, drinking down shots of alcohol. Allen was running it tonight and Spike was grateful for that. With the cigarette in his mouth, Spike stood beside Allen behind the bar and lit his cigarette.

"Oi mate," Spike sucked in the smoke as Allen continued serving shots, "I'm going out to patrol."

"Okay, Spike," Allen answered quickly as he concentrated on the people at the bar.

"I'll be back late," Spike replied as he gave Allen a farewell nod and left the bar. As soon as Spike stepped outside, he felt that same electric wave bolt through him from earlier in the afternoon. His senses started tangling quite a lot and that's when he remembered.

"_Buffy_…" he sighed as he could almost feel her. He sensed her alright. Maybe she was one of the Slayers who were staying here in Cleveland. He hoped so. But then a different thought came to mind and he grew terrified. He had a feeling that they'd bump into eachother somehow. He was excited but scared at the same time. What would he say to her? What would happen? He was nervous and his tingling senses weren't really helping. He missed her. Oh hell, he missed her so bad. He shook off the thoughts as he walked out into the alley, with a stake in hand. Maybe patrol would get his mind off of things; maybe it was just a demon that was giving his senses a kick. He didn't know though, because this was the exact feeling he would get when he was near _her_.

Spike crept around the corner of the alley into another alleyway. The night was warm and the moon was out. The stars were twinkling as bright as ever. He sniffed the air so he could feel the cool breeze but that only made it worse for he could sense Buffy even more that way and now he had a better sense of direction as to where exactly she was. Nature took its course as he followed the direction he sensed her only he was pretending that he was just looking for a vampire or a demon of some sort. Maybe it was just one of the other Slayers that he was sensing. He never bumped into them and he was quite curious to.

He remembered when he first got to Cleveland, he had to fight the evil that was stirring in this very city and he still never bumped into the Slayers. He killed the big bad and all that lot. He wondered if the Slayers were actually wondering why that demon never showed his face again because they sure as hell didn't know that Spike was only about a couple miles away from them. But, it couldn't have been those Slayers that were driving his senses crazy, making his head tingle and his eyes burn, making him squirm. He remembered that whenever he was around Faith, she'd never have that effect on him for it was only Buffy who made him react that way. Maybe it was the demon, maybe it was the soul, or maybe it was just love.

Spike tilted his head as he inspected the alley. He usually found a lot of vampires in the alleys. It was always the perfect place for him to get a numby treat when he was evil. The alleys were always dark and there were never really any crowds. Besides gangs and that sort. He sighed and took another puff of his cigarette before he threw it on the ground and gave it a good stomp. His senses led him through the alley until his intentions took a turn on him. He heard a high pitched scream and that was his queue. He took off running to the way he heard the sound.

-----------

Everybody had split up and Buffy walked alone through the city. Not many people roamed the streets here like they did back in Sunnydale. There were mostly just cars and such. The only noises heard were the car engines and the beeping. Buffy folded her arms as she wandered astray. It was a nice night. The breeze reminded Buffy of the weather back in Sunnydale. A lot of things reminded her of Sunnydale and she hated to think it, but she kind of missed it. She had brought all of her best friends along from their departure, but she left behind one man. _Spike. Her champion. _

Three years had passed by now without him and it took a while for her to get accustomed to living without him. Usually he was always there, talking to her about everything. He was one of the only people she could talk to because he saw her more than anybody else. She understood that more than ever now. She remembered his speech he gave her three years ago before he held her. He got her to actually love herself even if he'd be snide about things at times. But that was only because he thought he couldn't have her. But she knew that if he had lived past Sunnydale, they could've been something. Something more than just lust. And she always still wondered if he even believed her when she told him those three last words. She hoped so.

Buffy paused a moment and her Slayer senses started tangling like crazy. She felt an electric wave move through her. _What the hell?_ She sucked in some of the Ohio air. Maybe it was the demon she was looking for but usually any normal demon or vampire would just give her a different feeling with her senses. But now, her senses were rather… familiar. She just couldn't quite figure it out. This was the feeling she'd get when she was around… oh, but no. It couldn't be. He's _gone._ Buffy shook away those thoughts as she continued walking. _Maybe it's just a demon… or hopefully the demon that we're looking for. _

Buffy turned a corner into an alley. And just as she did, that same familiar jolt of energy went through her once more. She placed her hand onto the brick wall to keep her balance and her curiosity only grew. She stood a moment, with her hand supporting her against the wall and closed her eyes. What is this? She inhaled the fresh air and opened her eyes again. Have to find this demon.

-------------

Turning one last corner, Spike spotted a huge demon cornering an innocent middle-aged woman. The girl was yelping as the demon grabbed her by the throat and threw her up against the brick alley wall. Spike quickly leapt onto the demon and threw him down to the ground. The demon hissed in pain. Spike turned towards the girl,

"Now would be a good time to run for it, pet," The girl fled like prey running from the predator. The demon sprung back to it's feet. Spike took a good look at the demon. He was tall, wide, wrinkly, and had three eyes. _Three eyes? Bloody hell?_

"Well, aren't you a handsome fella'?" Spike teased as he went into a fighting stance. The demon growled with anger as he gave Spike a good hit in the nose. Spike grunted a bit as he ducked down at the demon's second punch, grabbing a hold of the three-eyed demon's fist. Spike kicked the demon hard in the stomach.

"Is that all ya got? Come on," Spike chuckled as he formed his fist to give the demon a good blow in the face. The demon's third eye annoyed Spike so much that he even thought of shoving his finger through it. _I could be like the woman-hating priest. _The demon grew furious and picked Spike up off the ground. "What the? Bloody Hell! Put me down!" Spike yelled as the demon only raised Spike higher. The demon didn't listen. It wasn't like the demon could comprehend what Spike was saying anyways because so far it seemed the thing was as stupid as Harmony.  
With that, the demon threw Spike hard into the brick alley wall. The vampire with a soul grunted in agony as his back hit the wall. Blood was dripping from his lip from an earlier punch. Full of fury, Spike put on his game face and hissed. The demon stepped towards Spike with long strides as his big feet made the ground shake. Spike slowly got back up to his feet, showing off his fangs. The ugly, three-eyed demon gave Spike a nice blow in the jaw with his right fist while the demon's left fist sucker-punched the poor vampire's stomach. Spike grunted. _Damn, this thing is strong._ But Spike knew he'd come out of this alive. He was _Spike_, after all.

Full of rage, Spike managed to get a few punches on the demon. The demon was still standing strong. Spike shoved the three-eyed bugger into the wall with anticipation, kicking and punching as much as he could. His inner demon was really kicking in and the evil demon just became more furious. It's three red eyes twitched and Spike got even more annoyed by it. _What the soddin' hell kind of demon is this anyways?_ Spike was so unsure. Almost always could he tell which demons were which. But this demon, he had no clue for he'd never seen a demon with three red eyes before. The demon finally clubbed Spike hard in the nose with it's huge fist, making Spike fly backwards onto the cold, hard cement. To Spike's surprise, the demon walked away towards some dumpsters that stood against a brick wall. But Spike soon realized that the demon was just looking for a weapon.

The vampire struggled to get himself up off the ground but his leg was twitching and his nose felt like it was broken. The demon headed back towards Spike with a metal pole that he must have found inside the dumpster.

"You're not gonna hit me with that," Spike yelped as he slowly got to his feet, "oh bullocks." The demon swung the pole at Spike's head but Spike blocked it with his hand, struggling to take the thing away from the damn creature. The demon growled as it struggled to pull the pole out of Spike's hand but Spike tugged as hard as he could. The vampire's teeth bit together hard as he yanked the pole out of the demon's enormous hands and swung it hard at the demon's head. The demon flew to the ground, hissing in pain.

"Somebody shoulda warned you not to mess with ol' Spike," Spike laughed as blood dripped down from his lip and nose. He twirled the pole in his hands with great enthusiasm as the demon sat up on the ground. Spike swung the pole at the thing's back as it fell flat on it's face once more. Spike just chuckled and took out a cigarette. The demon showed no sign of motion at all. Spike's game face disappeared.

"It's alright mate. It wasn't a fair fight," Spike smirked as he lit his cigarette and took a puff. "Besides, I'm a lot stronger and faster than you. Even _if_ you're a lot _wider._" Spike threw the pole on the ground and started to walk off, enjoying his smoke and his sweet victory. But before he could even leave, he found himself thrown into the dumpster. The demon roared loudly and Spike grumbled in frustration. Spike popped his head over the dumpster to spot the demon but before he knew it, the demon had run in a different direction.

"Wanker!" Spike yelled after the creature as he hopped out of the dumpster. The bleached blonde dusted off his clothing to get off the various materials that stuck on him from the nasty dumpster. He turned his head over to the direction where the demon had fled. _This is gonna be a long night. _

---------------

The docks were silent and the only noises made were the waves of Lake Erie, the breeze, and maybe a few cars passing by. Faith and Robin had been looking for the demon for a while now. They bumped into a few fledglings but no sign of a three-eyed demon. They tried to get words out of a few vampires but none would speak, they were mostly concentrating on the killing. They all failed horribly. Faith sighed in frustration.

"We have to find this demon soon or I'm gonna crack," Faith waved her hands around as Robin nodded.

"Well hopefully Buffy or Rhona found _something_," Robin replied, in his normal, mellow tone.

"It's a nice night. Not too hot, not too cold," Faith quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah, feels good," Robin smiled. Faith and Robin stood near the shore. The waves were slapping at eachother and wetting the sand near the shallow end over and over again. They both looked out onto the lake and enjoyed the view.

"You know what else feels good?" Faith grinned as Robin turned his attention towards her.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you," Robin smiled and Faith pulled him into a nice, gentle kiss. This was newer to Faith because usually she liked to put the wild fire in the kiss. But when she was with a guy that she actually liked, then she wanted it to be a bit more meaningful and gentle and _then_ she would put the fire in. This was one of the first men that she actually really liked, especially since they're boyfriend and girlfriend and all. All of the last boyfriends or _flings _as she would call it were short and meaningless. Robin wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her closer. He was glad that he and Buffy never continued _dating_. Because then he would've never wound up with Faith.

Robin finally pulled away but continued holding her. "Yeah, I do feel good, don't I?" He teased. Faith punched him playfully on the arm with a big smile.

"Ouch."

-----------

She heard several grunts and growls. Whatever it was, she had a good feeling that it was the demon they were looking for. They still didn't know much about it though and she thought that maybe they should hit research mode the next morning. She hated doing research. It was mostly Willow or Dawn's job. Dawn had become very astute with the whole "researching thing". Buffy was proud of her sister. Dawn had really grown into a woman. She couldn't wait to get back to Rome to see her sister.

All of the sudden, Buffy heard something growl very loud. She knew she was close. She paused a moment in the middle of the alley. There was loud stomping. It was coming closer and closer. _I guess Rhona really meant it when she said that this demon was big. _Buffy continued walking, quickening her pace. She moved towards the sound and let her senses take her to it. Her senses doubled the tingling. _Maybe there's _two_ demons over there._ However many there were, Buffy was sure that they were just around the corner. The stomping came closer and closer and closer and…

"ARGH!" The demon grumbled, standing right before Buffy. It's three eyes twitched and Buffy stared at it in shock.

"Well now I know why there are _three_ blind mice," Buffy cringed as she didn't hesitate to hit the demon. The demon grunted. It must've known that Buffy was coming for it to just run at her like this.

"SLAYER," the creature yelled in her face as it grabbed a hold of her and shoved her into the wall. Buffy scrunched up her face in pain but quickly recovered.

"The one and only. Well, not so much anymore but-" Buffy stopped herself as the demon ran full speed into her. She moved out of the way as the demon hit the wall and missed her.

"I knew you'd come," the three-eyed creature grinned, turning around swiftly and showing off his sharp fangs.

"Yeah, me too," she replied bitterly as she gave the demon a couple of hits. The demon stood still, taking her hits. He smiled wretchedly and punched her in the face; she fell to the ground with a groan. Looking up at the demon from the ground, he turned his attention somewhere else.

"Stupid vampire," the demon growled under his breath as he turned the corner again, leaving Buffy on the ground. Buffy pressed her hands to the ground and pushed herself up off the ground. She stood warily to her feet. Her light brown sweater was ripped and there was a wound on her cheek from the strong hit. The blonde Slayer stood in wonder as she heard a manly scream. She turned her attention towards the corner where the demon had just run off and then she saw it. A man was thrown into the wall in front of her. She couldn't quite make out who he was because the demon stood in front of him and punched him while the poor man was on the ground, up against the wall, taking the pain.

Buffy snatched the creamy colored woolen shirt of the demon and threw him away from the guy. She didn't pay any attention towards the victim for she was too busy kicking the three-eyed monster that stood before her. Come to think of it, he kind of looked like a big troll. She punched the demon's jaw and then kicked him to the ground. It had angered her to see that _thing _beating on a poor, innocent man.

_Buffy. That is Buffy. Standing before me, saving me._ Spike smiled as blood dripped down his face. He was still against the wall and he was wounded but he would live. Live as much as a vampire could. His senses did the tangling thing again and he knew it. He knew this feeling was because of her because she was here. Now. It felt like his unbeating heart was racing a mile a minute. His soul burned. He yearned for her. He watched her beat the shit out of that demon and he missed it, watching her fight. He missed her so much and now he got to see her. _Oh no, she's gonna see me._ Spike hesitated. He grew scared at the thought that she thought he was dead. This was going to be his first appearance. Spike struggled to get up so he could run or go somewhere.

"Come on," Buffy yelled after the demon as it ran the opposite direction, out of the alley, "I wasn't finished!"

"I'll end you later, Slayer!" the three-eyed demon yelled as he disappeared. The trembling of the ground stopped and all was quiet again.

Buffy sighed, "they always run after the first fight." Spike held onto the wall tightly to get himself up off the ground. Buffy took her attention off of the empty alley where the demon had run and focused it on the poor innocent man. She turned towards him saying,

"Hey, are you al-" Buffy paused. Spike. _Oh my gosh, Spike. _He inhaled an unneeded breath and wiped some blood off his face with his sleeve. His bleached hair was in curls from the fight and he stared in her eyes. She was lost. Lost in eyes. There he stood, before her. He was only inches away. The electric feeling came back stronger than ever.

"S- Spike?"


	3. Emerald and Blue

Those deep blue eyes. Those bleached blonde curls. Those beautiful cheek bones that made him... _Spike_, oh God.

He stared into her eyes and she did the same. Blue stared into emerald and emerald stared into blue. Spike's wounded form leaned disgruntled against the wall, but his face was as content as ever as he continued staring at the form before him. His love. It seemed like hours before Buffy found herself again. Even though it was only about a minute of a staring contest. She'd lost herself in his eyes. She was at a loss for words.

He was wounded and his chest was heaving. Spike wasn't sure if it was heaving from the combat with the demon or if his chest was heaving from disbelief. And the tingling senses came back once again... for both of them. Spike could recall that her expression was the same exact expression she had on her face right before he'd died. Shock and a bunch of other emotions combined. Maybe even love. He'd hoped it was love...

Breaking the moment, Buffy shook her head slightly. She touched his upper arm to make sure he was real. Completely corporeal. _He's real._ Spike's eyes shifted from her emerald eyes to her hand. It made him quiver. The souled vampire turned his head towards Buffy again. He held her gaze. Spike felt as if he was brought back to life in that moment... that his heart could beat.

Buffy finally took her hand off of his arm. Spike's eyes continued looking into her's. She finally let out the breath she'd been holding and broke the silence.

" A- are you okay?"

"I'm fine, love," Spike answered in a hushed voice. Buffy closed her eyes to his voice. She missed the sound of his voice.

"Spike," Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him once more, "how? How...did you-"

"Vampire," Spike stated as his eyes finally were taken off of Buffy and focusing on something behind her.

"Huh?" Buffy questioned as her eye brows perked. She was answered by a punch in the head. The vampire hissed and Spike readied himself in a fighting stance. Buffy turned around quickly and gave the vampire a punch. Spike motioned closer to the fiend and kicked him in the face. Buffy's lips formed a small smile at the fact that her and Spike were fighting evil together again. _Just like old times._

Spike grabbed hold of the vampire around the neck to keep him still. Spike nodded at Buffy and it was her queue. Her stake slipped out of her sleeve and she shoved it through the vampire's chest. The vampire started to deteriorate but before his skin sizzled to dust, he had one last thing to say.

"Alkardo will _demolish_ you and yours!" Dust flew to the ground.

"Alkardo?" Buffy asked as she put her stake away and Spike shrugged.

"Could've been that three-eyed bloke that attacked us."

"We need to look into it," Buffy suggested. Spike agreed with a slight head nod. Buffy just looked at him in amazement. _He died... for her and the world. He saved the world. And now he's... here. _She couldn't ask questions now. They did need to talk but they also had a demon to catch... and some wounds to take care of.

"You're hurt pretty bad," Buffy stepped closer to Spike as she examined the cuts and scrapes on his face.

"I'll heal."

"Well, is there any place close by? We need to take care of it before we go looking..." Buffy paused. All of the sudden there was a we. "...unless you already had other plans. But, if you want to help me kill this thing..."

"Buffy," Spike spoke softly as Buffy shivered. She missed his voice and when he said her name. And not just in the sexual way either, " of course I'll help you. Always have, haven't I?" Buffy smiled at that.

"Come with me," Buffy slowly walked past him as he followed, "we have to go back to the place I'm staying and find out who the hell Alkardo is and to check in with the others."

"The others?"

"Yeah, I'm staying here in Cleveland for a couple of weeks with Faith, Robin, Rhona, and some other girl named...Monica? Hey! I got it right!" She grinned, full of dignity. Spike smiled at her, completely amused. They exited the alley together... side by side. Together again.

The condominium was quiet and dimly lit. Spike closed the door behind him and followed Buffy into the family room.

"Looks like nobody's home," Spike examined as Buffy stood still and looked back at him.

"You sit down. I'm gonna clean you up."

"You don't have to, pet."

"Sure I do, just be right back. And then we'll talk." Buffy rushed up the stairs to fetch a wet cloth so she could clean the blood off his face. Spike sighed as he sat himself down on the couch. He knew Buffy would be angry with him after he told her about how he came back. How he had been back for more than a year and he never told her. He then smiled to himself. Happiness finally came back to him and his soul soared. _Buffy is here... with me. _

Buffy grabbed a cloth off of a rack in the bathroom and ran it under some warm water in the sink. She looked at herself in the mirror while doing so. She suddenly felt the urgency to fix her hair or... something. Having Spike back made her happy and... worried about her looks at the same time. Her heart skipped a beat. The butterflies flapped around in her stomach like crazy. _Spike is back. He's really back. How? When? Where? Why? So many questions to be answered..._

She turned off the water and brushed her fingers through her long, blonde hair. Buffy took one last glance at herself and gave herself a small nod of approval before she turned around with the wet cloth and headed for the stairs. Oh, the effect Spike had on her...

Time for coddling.

**A/N- This chapter was shorter. But I noticed that I needed to slow the pace down a little bit. I'll update soon! Oh, and reviews make me a happy girl. **


	4. Something to Smile About

"Don't put any bandaides on me," Spike demanded as Buffy sat down next to him on the couch with the wet cloth in hand.

"Why not?"

"Coz' I don't wanna look like a nancy hospital boy," Spike explained as Buffy smiled, completely humoured. Spike grinned. He noticed that she had been smiling a lot more. He loved it when she smiled. Buffy started wiping up a gash on Spike's forehead. Spike shivered at the thought that she was taking care of him.

"What did this thing do to you?" She questioned in a whisper as she continued tending to Spike's wounds.

"You know, few bloody blows in the head and what not. That sod threw me in the dumpsters, I'll have you know," Spike whined. Buffy chuckled and Spike laughed with her. They exchanged a glance as Buffy started taking care of the cut across Spike's cheek.

"You've been doing that a lot lately," Spike spoke softly.

"What?" Buffy asked in a whisper.

"Smiling. It's pretty rare, love," Spike smiled as he looked down at his lap and then his eyes shifted back up at the Slayer, "I mean, in the small amount of time we've seen eachother tonight... you've probably smiled... eighteen times."

"You kept count?"

"Sadly... yeah, I did." The two shared a look.

"Well, maybe I've been happy," Buffy dabbed at the cut on Spike's lip, "ya know. Things are... better. Especially... right now. With you here." Spike felt as if his unbeating heart could melt right then and there. Buffy gave Spike a look of all honesty as she took the rag off of his face.  
"There," Buffy took her free hand and carressed Spike's cheek where the cut was, "all better."

"Thanks, pet," Spike leaned into her hand slightly in complete comfort. He could just sit like that forever. Buffy finally stood to her feet and walked into the kitchen to get rid of the bloody rag. Spike sighed in contentment and leaned back against the leather couch.

"Now let's talk about how you... got back," Buffy suggested as she re-entered the living room and stood before Spike. She folded her arms.

"So uh, why are you staying in Cleveland?" Spike shifted uncomfortably, trying to change the subject.

"Rhona needed help and what not. So, this was our assignment. We heard that the hellmouth is gonna open up... so here I am. Now don't change the subject, why are you here?" Buffy spoke all in one breath.

"Right then," Spike looked down at his hands on his lap.

"Spike..." Buffy glanced at him, "you can tell me."

"You're gonna be angry with me," Spike warned. Buffy just waited for him to talk. "Right, uh I came back to life in Angel's office at Wolfram and Hart..."

"Huh?" Buffy's eyes widened. Spike shot her a look. "Right, keep going."

"I wasn't very _solid_ at the time. More like... incorporeal. I also couldn't go past city limits for stupid bloody reasons. Then one day I finally became corporeal again and then me, Angel and his team had an apocalypse to attend to. Sadly, everybody died except for me and peaches. Angel and I worked side by side for a while and then he decided that I should help out at the hellmouth which is here... in Cleveland. So, he sent me here. The place I'm stayin' is rather nice. Comfier than the crypt," Spike trailed off. Buffy looked shocked. She sat down next to Spike on the couch with a look of bewilderment on her face.

"So, lemme get this straight. _You_ worked alongside with _Angel_?"

"Uh huh," Spike mumbled.

"And for _how long?" _Buffy wondered.

"A year," Spike quickly said under his breath.

"_What_?"

"I said... about a year, alright?" Spike stood up in front of Buffy.

"And how long have you been in Cleveland for?"

"Oh God... uh... two years?" Spike explained. He grew scared. Buffy's tightened her lips in anger.

"So, you've been _alive _all this time? For three years, Spike! And you never told me?" Buffy yelled as she stood up in front of Spike, waving her hands around, full of rage.

"I was gonna tell you but-"

"But what? But, 'oh! Spike died and he just didn't want to tell the girl he loved because' what Spike?" Buffy rambled. "Or maybe it's because you don't love me anymore, so that's why you never came back and told me?"

"What?"

"Well, why else would you not come back to me?"

"Buffy, that is really not the reason! Why the bloody hell would I ever stop loving you? It hurts so much that you would think that! Not loving you would be the last soddin' thing I'd do on this earth!" Spike explained in a raised voice. He sighed and then he spoke in a hushed voice, "I'll always love you. Buffy. With all of my bleedin' soul. I'd do anything for you. I'd die for you just like I did back in Sunnydale over and over again. Buffy, I will always unconditionally, desperately, always and forever love... you. " Buffy stared at him with emotion filling her eyes. Her eyes were wet and a tear started to form.

Spike relaxed his tense shoulders and sighed once more.

"Then explain to me," Buffy choked as a tear started to run down her face. Spike moved closer to her.

"Shhh, love, " Spike wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace, "please don't cry." Spike was holding her and she let him. Buffy wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. Spike stroked her blonde hair. "See, I was scared to see you. And... and I thought that dying a champion for you would be enough. And... I didn't want to just barge in on your life."

"Barge in on my life?" Buffy pulled out of Spike's embrace and looked at him, "Spike, you'd be doing anything but barging in on my life."

"Buffy... love, I did try to come to you. Right when I bleedin' came back to life, I tried to come to you. But, I couldn't go past city limits. And then when I became corporeal again, I tried coming to you. But then, I had second thoughts and I was... scared. I had too much time to think about it and all that time made my mind think of too many bloody things," Spike explained as he searched her eyes.

"Why are you scared all of the sudden, Spike?" Buffy asked with a touch of anger to her voice. " I mean, in those last nights of Sunnydale, you were even 'terrified' as you would put it."

"Because... I don't ever want to hurt you again. And... I want to be careful to make sure that I... that I don't do that ever again," Spike explained as he looked to his feet. Buffy knew what he was talking about. She hugged him once again, wanting to feel his touch. Spike's eyes widened in a bit of surprise as he wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tightly, as if he was holding on for dear life. She did the same.

"Spike, you won't ever hurt me again. I know you won't," Buffy whispered into his ear, "the only way you could hurt me is by leaving me. Which is what everybody does nowadays. But you... it's not like you to leave me or to even not tell me about being back for that matter."

"I'm sorry, pet," Spike stroked her back in circular motions, " I should've came back to you as soon as possible. Oh God, I should have-"

"It's okay, Spike," Buffy held him tight, "I'm just glad you're alive. And with me." Spike smiled and Buffy did the same. They held eachother and it seemed like time had stood still. Spike listened to Buffy's heart beat and he closed his eyes. He could smell her familiar vanilla scent. Her warmth overcame him. _Oh, do I love this girl._ Buffy could recall that this was the first time she felt completely safe from the world. The last time that she felt this safe was... the last time Spike held her in his arms. Her heart raced with the contact. She moved her head back and looked into his blue eyes.  
"You know, I always loved your hair like that," Buffy smiled as she stroked Spike's messed up hair.

"What? My sex hair?" Spike teased. Buffy's smile only widened.

"Oh, sex hair is very sexy," Buffy joked. They laughed with eachother. Their arms were still around one another as they looked into eachother's eyes. The smiles never left their lips. Buffy's heart was still beating fast. She could feel the butterflies pull at her gut. And Spike's soul bounced inside of him. The sound of a beating heart, the quiet breathing, and the opening of a door...

"Anyone back here yet?" Buffy and Spike heard Faith call across the condo. Buffy stepped out of Spike's embrace and looked at Faith. Spike grumbled in anger. _Bloody hell. _

"Yeah, right here," Buffy answered as Faith entered the family room.

"Spike? You gotta be shittin' me!" Faith placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head.

"It's you. Lovely," Spike said sarcastically as Faith rolled her eyes.

"I thought you were dead. Ya know? Dust," Faith wondered.

"Yeah well, now I'm not," Spike rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he's been back for awhile now," Buffy explained as Faith nodded her head. She took in the scene in front of her.

"Uh huh. And did I just... interrupt something?" Oh Faith was good.

"No!" Buffy reassured Faith in a raised voice, "no, you didn't."

"Yes she did," Spike mumbled under his breath as Faith folded her arms and shot him a glare. Footsteps were made from the hallway into the family room. A voice was heard while the man was making his way into the family room behind Faith.

"So, that was what happened and we still have to figure out the name of this guy before we jump to any-" Robin Wood stopped beside Faith, "...conclusions."

"Great," Spike muttered. Both women rolled their eyes with smirks on their faces. Robin's expession held surprise in it. But then the features on his face quickly showed anger and hate.

"Spike."

"What's up, _principal_? How are the kiddies? Got any certain _vendettas_ you wanna let me in on?" Spike insulted. Robin's expression didn't change.

"Spike..." Buffy folded her arms and tilted her head towards him.

"Alright, fine I'm done," Spike waved his hands in the air and perked his eyebrows.

"Okay, can we talk about this demon now?" Buffy asked, annoyed. She wasn't really annoyed of Spike but more of Robin. Spike amused her whenever he'd toss around his insults at Robin. Robin was being even more childish by keeping his hatred for Spike.

"Yeah, we got nothin'," Faith explained as she took her eyes off of Spike and looked over at Buffy.

"We slayed a few vamps. None of them would talk," Robin explained as he, too finally looked over at Buffy and snapped out of his rage.

"You get anything, B?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, I bumped into the three-eyed demon itself. Didn't kill it though. Then I bumped into Spike who was pretty banged up from the thing. It's pretty strong... especially to get Spike hurt like that," Buffy explained. Spike nodded his head full of pride. "It left and said how it was gonna 'finish me later'... scary, right?"

"Tell them about the name, love," Spike reminded her as she nodded her head.

"I was gonna get to that," Buffy whispered and then she turned her head towards Robin and Faith, "Then we bumped into this vamp and right when we dusted him, he said 'Alkardo will kill you and yours' and what not."

"Alkardo?" Rhona asked as she and Monica entered the family room. Monica turned her attention towards Spike and stared at him in perplexity.

"Who's that guy?" Monica asked as Rhona turned her head towards the bleached blonde vampire.

"Spike?" Rhona asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, we were just down that road," Faith murmured as Spike gave Rhona a wave.

"Monica," Buffy paused to make sure she said the right name and then nodded to herself when she witnessed no objections, " this is Spike. We have a ... past and uh, yeah. Spike, this is one of the Slayers, Monica."

"Hi," Spike smirked, uninterested.

"Hello there," Monica smiled as she turned towards Rhona. Rhona just stared blankly.

"Yeah, they have a past," Rhona joked as Buffy's cheek became flushed.

"Huh?" Monica asked, wanting to know the story.

"Let's just say Buffy got her naughty on!" Faith grinned and Buffy's cheeks grew redder by the moment. Monica's eyes shifted from Buffy to Spike, completley interested in the story. Spike just looked at Buffy, loving how it had affected her.

"Right! So, back to Alkardo," Buffy hesitantly changed the subject as her shoulders tensed.

"Right, we heard just about everything you said while walking in. Is that all you got?" Rhona explained as she took a seat on the stairsteps which stood right behind her.

"Pretty much," Buffy folded her arms, "we should research it. Look up his name and figure out what he wants."

"Can we do that tomorrow morning? It's late and I'm tired," Faith yawned.

"I don't suppose _he_ we will be working on this assignment with us, will he?" Robin muttered as he pointed to Spike. Spike leaned back, insulted.

"Actually, he is. If you want to object, I don't care. We need all the help we can get," Buffy commanded. She knew that that wasn't the only reason and so did everybody else in the room... except for Monica for she was still dumbfounded. Robin couldn't object.

"Right, so we get some sleep, wake up tomorrow morning, and hit the books," Faith clapped her hands together as Rhona and Monica headed up the stairs to retire. "Night, B and... Spike. If you two end up sexin' it up, keep it down a little. You might interrupt me and Robin upstairs."

"Good night, Faith," Buffy rolled her eyes as Faith and Robin headed up the stairs. All was quiet. Buffy turned to Spike.  
"Ah, Faith... some things never change."

"You're not wrong," Spike nodded as he faced Buffy, "So uh... do you want me to just come back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, if you can."

"Course I can, love."

"Great, so then I'll see you tomorrow night then? Come here at about... nine? We have to find this demon thing-y," Buffy explained as Spike nodded.

"I'll be here," he reassured as he gave Buffy one last look. Spike turned to exit the room so he could leave the house but then he stopped at Buffy's voice.

"Spike..." Spike turned his head and looked at Buffy. "I'm glad you're back." They shared a smile. Spike turned and headed for the door. Buffy watched him leave.


	5. Dreaming of You

The sounds of whistling birds filled the room from outside. They continued singing their songs as rays from the sun cascaded down on Buffy's tired face through the shades. The Slayer was slightly disoriented, wondering where she was. She was used to waking up in a nice, comfier bed back in Rome. Now she was stretched out on a noisy, hard mattress in an empty room. She groaned, still wanting to sleep but something was keeping her from sleeping and she remembered.

Spike.

She sat up in the creaky bed and smiled knowing that she now had something to really look forward to today. Yawning and stretching, she got herself out of bed and made her way into the hallway. She guessed it was probably about noon and she wanted to ready herself for the day.

Strangely, the hallway suddenly turned from a modern walkway to a wild jungle. Vines ripped out of the walls from each side and plants bloomed from the carpet. The carpet's colors blended from creamy white to a ripe green as grass sprouted out. The ceiling's colors shifted from a pale white color to a deep, dark blue. The hard ceiling then transformed from solid to a sky, with bright stars shining down on Buffy's face.

She just stood there, completely perplexed. Standing her ground, she walked steadily, turning her head in every direction to see if anything was to attack. The jungle made its animal sounds and nature took its course. It became clear to Buffy that she wasn't in Rhona's condo anymore. She could hear owls and growling in the distance. Crickets were chirping and the wind blew gently, slapping her hair around. There was a full moon and it was brighter and bigger than ever. She fell in love with the view but she grew hesitant. Buffy continued walking forward for she didn't know what else to do.

"Stars… pretty," Buffy kept herself company. Suddenly, she became a bit cold. She was still wearing the same bedtime attire, a tank top and some soft pajama pants. And the worst thing was that she was barefoot.  
"Ow!" Buffy grunted as a thorn cut through her barefoot. She jumped up and down in agony and lifted her foot to examine it. It was a decent sized thorn sticking in her foot and she needed to get it out. Buffy found it simple enough as she ripped it out with a groan.  
"Note to self…wear shoes to bed," Buffy murmured to herself. She was well aware that this must be a dream. A dream that seemed very real. Too real. It felt almost as real as her Slayer dreams. The Slayer looked to the ground to make sure nothing else would be stabbing at her feet. She inspected the ground only briefly because she had to keep an eye out for some jungle creature… or a demon.

Buffy continued walking, taking in every inch of her surroundings. It seemed as if she was walking through endless jungle. Nothing new came in sight but something new came to her ear. Some twigs were breaking and some branches were moving. She could hear it quite well. Turning into full Slayer-mode, she snapped a huge, thick branch off of a tree. It took a moment but her Slayer strength kicked in and she was ready for a fight. The noise continued.

The Slayer turned towards the sound, using her senses. She gripped the branch tighter in her hands and watched the bushes and plants shake. First they shook gently as if other plants near it were setting it off from the motion, but then the plants shook violently. A figure came into sight as it ripped out of the bushes. It hissed in a low growl and Buffy raised the branch in a fighting stance.

"Hello, love," Spike hissed. He had his game face on and he looked as if he were out for blood. Slayer blood. Buffy's eyes widened. This all reminded her of the times when she was just a teenager and Spike wanted to kill her.

"Spike, what are you do-"

"I'm killing you, that's what I'm doing! Doesn't take a bloody scientist to figure that out," Spike grinned, his amber demon eyes glowing in the night. Buffy bit her teeth together hard.

"Why?"

"What the hell kinda question is that, Slayer? I've wanted to kill you all year, and you know that." Buffy wasn't surprised. She knew this was all a dream and she was no longer scared. She felt as if she wasn't even capable of being afraid of Spike anymore anyways. No matter what condition he was in. She sighed and took a seat on the ground.

"Right, you're the ghost of Christmas past," she muttered as she stared at the ground, bored. Spike shook off his game face and crept closer. He was confused as to why Buffy wasn't fighting, running, or throwing one of her world-famous puns at him. She made no motion as he grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Well I guess this will be easier than I thought!" He smirked. Buffy looked up at him and rolled her eyes. Her shoulders tensed at his touch but she still didn't struggle to get out of his hold. He threw her up against a tree. Spike chuckled and Buffy fell to the ground with a small grunt. The evil Spike stalked towards her slowly as she lifted her head to look at him. Buffy stood to her feet before him and stared into his deadly gaze.

"Try all you want. You're not gonna do it anyways," Buffy shrugged as she leaned up against the tree that Spike had thrown her into. Spike became annoyed at the fact that he smelt no fear in her whatsoever. He growled.

"Right, love. Coz' it's not like I never killed any Slayers before. I'm sure I can kill you. Especially since I have such an advantage now… with you being all… unafraid. And why is that?" Spike's face was scrunched up in confusion.

"Cause' you love me too much to kill me." Buffy sighed impatiently, waiting for this session of the dream to be over. She had a feeling there'd be more small sessions of this dream or premonition or whatever she would call it. She'd already gone through this too many times to not know. Spike stared at her, shocked. He then laughed aloud.

"Yeah!" Spike spat as he continued laughing, "that would be the bloody day!" Buffy laughed at how Spike was so determined that it wasn't possible. He paused and looked at her. "What the hell are you laughing about, Slayer?"

"You," she chuckled as her eyes shifted from him back to the ground, "saying how you would never love me. It's funny, I mean really. Ironic actually. Especially since I'm future-Buffy in this case and you're past-Spike."

"What are you goin' on about?" Spike wondered and Buffy looked back up at him.

"Admit it, Spike. You've always had an odd fixation with me anyways. Even now. Even if you want to kill me," Buffy looked at him, seductively. She wanted to play around a little. She needed something to make this dull dream go by quicker.

"Well, yeah," Spike tilted his head and smiled wickedly, "there was always just something about you, Slayer."

"And I'm surprised to see you admit it that fast," she replied as she folded her arms together and inhaled.

"You know me, I'm honest."

"Yep."

"So why don't I wanna kill you anymore?" Spike pouted as he leaned up against the tree next to Buffy. "You ruined the mood."

"Sorry about that," Buffy focused on the ground as Spike studied her, "I guess that's just what I do." Spike shrugged at that and Buffy turned her head to him. "So why are we in the jungle?"

"Dunno," Spike answered. They shared a look. Before anything else could occur, Spike's form became distorted. The jungle scenery that surrounded Buffy became blurred.

"Spike?" Buffy called as the atmosphere around her twisted and turned around her. She became a bit dizzy. Everything became completely contorted and Buffy closed her eyes to relax herself. She opened them again and everythingwas black. Spike was gone and so was the jungle. Looking up, she saw that the sky was gone, too. No more light. All dark. Except for some candles glowing…

Buffy examined her new location and knew right away where she was. Spike's crypt. The oriental rugs were set under her feet and a very much familiar bed stood a few feet away from her.

"Well," Buffy nodded to herself, "won't this be an interesting little session of my dream."

Buffy felt relieved that this was part of her dream. She'd much rather have the Spike who adored her than the one who wanted to kill her. Buffy smiled to herself to actually hear herself think that when about five years ago she loathed the thought of him loving her. Buffy felt her senses tingle and this is the part where he…

"Mmm, Buffy," Spike whispered as he shoved her against the wall. Buffy remembered this quite well. It was during the time when she was depressed and she came to Spike for fleeting comfort. Spike placed his left hand on her hip and his right hand on the other side of her on the wall, to lock her in place against the wall. He stared at her with his deep, lustful blue eyes. Buffy closed her eyes in remembrance. She kind of missed it… especially since feelings have changed. But then she remembered that this was when he was soulless. This was when he couldn't _feel_ anything real. But she shook it off quickly. At that moment, she really didn't care. And to show it, she grabbed his head and threw herself at him hungrily, kissing every inch of his face.

She missed the feel of him. Even if this was just a dream, she'd missed it. The last time she was this close to him was three years ago on the last night in Sunnydale. Thinking of that night made her pull him closer as their tongues danced in a passion of heat. She fell back on Spike's bed as he landed on her, never breaking their kiss. Spike's hands wandered around her back and back to her hips. Buffy pulled away to catch a breath of air and so did Spike although he didn't need it. Buffy looked into the blue ocean before her. His eyes… oh his eyes. She had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life. Spike slid his hand up to Buffy's cheek and stroked it as their foreheads rested on eachother.

Buffy had to tell him. She felt like she needed to tell him right then and there. Even if it was just a dream and even if he was soulless at the moment. Oh God, she wanted to tell him so bad.

"Spike," Buffy whispered as their eyes never left eachother. Spike continued softly stroking her cheek. "I… I love-"

But before she could finish, everything became distorted again. The candle-lit crypt blurred together and all of the colors of the room blended into one dark, solid color. Suddenly, Spike disappeared along with the rest of the crypt. Buffy sighed as she was still in the same laying down position. Everything became black and faded again. But this time, there was barely any color. There were no candles blazing and no stars in the sky. Not even any sounds of jungle creatures. Instead, she noticed that she had been placed in a cave. A dark, damp cave with carvings in the walls.

"Why did that last part of my dream have to be so brief?" Buffy muttered in annoyance. She sat up and looked around. Nothing seemed to interest her much although the fact that she was in a quiet cave creeped her out. It was too quiet. She hopped to her feet quickly, scraping off the debris on her legs. There were carvings on the wall and that's all Buffy's eyes could make out. The cave was too dark and she had a huge urge to pull out a flashlight.

The carvings were of people and demons. Buffy couldn't quite make out the pictures they made on the solid wall but she did have a feeling that danger was near. Her senses had come full throttle and she cracked her neck. She knew there was a demon near by but she couldn't tell where. The darkness made it harder for her. She took a look around and her eyes finally started to adjust to the blackness. She spotted a lit torch in the distance and made her way to it.

The torch led to a series of other torches which lit a pathway. The Slayer's instincts kicked in and she knew she had to follow. With every torch passing by, she grew more and more hesitant. She was near the end of the pathway because she could see another part of the cave from the distance. It came closer and closer as she continued walking. And as she neared the end, she heard noises growing louder. Buffy heard grunting and punching. There was a fight going on. Her curiosity only forced her pace to quicken. Taking longer strides, she finally reached the end of the pathway. And then when she heard it… his voice…and then turned the corner, watching him wave his hand around in pain.

"Bad move, bad move, bad move…" Spike held his burning hand. Buffy turned her attention towards the guy whom Spike was fighting. He was big, tall and had huge muscles. His fists were blazing with fire and Buffy could sense that he wasn't human although he looked it. Buffy watched them fight once more. Spike ducked from the muscled guy and grabbed his arm, flipping him onto his back. Buffy was about to engage on the fight but then Spike kicked the muscle guy in the groin, flipping him over. Buffy just watched for Spike was winning anyways. Spike straddled the muscle guy's shoulder, grabbing his head and twisting it violently… making the demon's neck break.

"Spike!" Buffy yelled as she watched him straighten up. Spike didn't answer. He only looked off at something else in the distance as if Buffy wasn't even there.  
"Spike!" Still no answer. Buffy finally noticed that she wasn't seeable. Spike didn't even know she was there. All she could do was watch… like a ghost.

"Looks like local boy loses," Spike panted as a big demon with fierce green-ish eyes appeared.

"So it would appear."

"Good on me, then. I get what I came for. I passed, right?"

"Indeed. You have passed the first stage of the test." Spike relaxed his shoulders. He was shirtless and Buffy noticed that he was beaten pretty badly. She tried to think about when this took place and where. _Why is Spike here?_

"Right, I get," suddenly Spike paused, "wait. First stage?" There was silence as the demon disappeared once again. "Bugger." Suddenly another demon came into view. Buffy suddenly came to a realization. Her eyes widened.

"This is when… trials… stages…. Oh my God, this is when Spike… got his soul…. For me," Buffy whispered to herself. She watched Spike fight the demon in amazement. This was the longest part of her dream so far. It seemed as if it went on for hours. She remembered Spike telling her how he went through hours and hours of torture and pain. And she finally got to see what he meant. It broke her heart. She felt so bad that she drove him to do this for her. For hours and hours, she watched him fight for her, to get his soul back. She couldn't watch it anymore, she couldn't bare it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She could still hear him screaming in pain from the torture and the trials. She couldn't take it… she just couldn't.

Suddenly, swift winds blew through her. The scene of Spike being beaten up faded quickly. Right as it faded, something a little new came to view. She was still in that same, musty cave but now Spike wasn't being tortured. He was lying limp on the ground, full of bruises and wounds. Buffy came to the conclusion that her dream had just fast-forwarded in time. She was glad though. She couldn't stand watching Spike get hurt like that. But now she had to see the aftermath. Buffy just waited…

"You have endured the required trials," the demon's deep voice echoed through the cave.

"Bloody right I have," Spike replied with a raspy, weak voice.

Spike slowly, in agony pushed himself up onto his knees. He had so many wounds and injuries. Buffy frowned at the sight.

"So you'll give me what I want. Make me what I was. So Buffy can get what she deserves."

"Very well," the demon sneered. Spike just stood there, watching the demon nervously. Buffy

paid close attention.  
"We will return…" The demon reached out his hand and touched Spike's chest, "your soul!"

Spike's chest illuminated full of a fiery yellow-orange color, his eyes bursting out with the same light. Buffy watched him scream in agony as he threw his head back. She closed her eyes. In that moment, she felt so much love. Never in her life had she ever have any man of any form do anything that extreme for her. She felt as if she didn't deserve it although she knew Spike thought she did. She inhaled deeply as the world circled around her once more. The cave shook and everything became a blur. Buffy stood still and waited for the next part of the dream to come. Although she wished it would end already.

Opening her eyes, she saw the moonlight cascading down on a beautiful face. Spike's beautiful face. She looked around at her new location, still a bit disoriented and noticed that they were in the church. The same church that Spike told her he had gotten his soul.

"It's what you wanted, right?" Spike asked, emotion filling his voice, "It's what _you_ wanted, right?" He yelled louder, looking at the ceiling. He continued talking and Buffy remembered every word he'd said. She could just say it along with him if she wanted.  
"And- and now everybody's in here, talking. Everything I did… and everyone I- and him… and it… the other, the thing beneath—beneath you. It's here, too. They all just tell me go… go… to hell."

Buffy wasn't as shocked this time because she obviously already knew all of this. What shocked her more is that she cried even harder than before. Tears streamed down her face continuously. She started sobbing. Especially after everything she had just saw him do for her, it hit her harder than before.

"Spike."

"Buffy, shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev—to be a kind of man." Sadness filled his voice as he walked to the crucifix. "And she shall look on him with forgiveness, and everybody will forgive and love. He will be loved."

"So everything's okay, right?" Spike rested himself on the crucifix. Buffy watched his body burn on the cross as it sizzled. Smoke raised from his limp body.

"Can—can we rest now? Buffy… can we rest?"

Buffy's eyes were filled with tears as there were many other tears streaming down her face already. The church started rumbling and everything became contorted for the last time. The world spun around Buffy once more as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, everything felt completely back to normal. The heat of the sun was hitting her face through the window.

Buffy quickly shot up to a sitting position, panting and catching her breath. She felt a tear on her face already.

"A dream… yes, a dream…" she murmured to herself as she took in her surroundings. Her heart was racing fast and she looked around the room to make sure she wasn't dreaming anymore. She wasn't. Buffy lifted the blanket over herself reluctantly and hopped out of bed. Opening the bedroom door, she heard a familiar voice from downstairs.

"So, we decided to come here! For extra help! I mean, I'm good at research-mode and stuff," the familiar voice said as Buffy raced down the stairs to see who it was. Rhona, Monica, Faith and Robin stood in the family room speaking with Dawn and… Andrew. Dawn looked up at Buffy and smiled as Andrew gave her a girly wave.

"Dawn!"

**  
A/N: Ah, I love your guys' reviews! Thanks! Reviews make me smile and give me the motivation to update sooner! (Which I will anyways!) Heh. Questions? Comments? I still need a beta, by the way. :) **


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